Up and Adam

Does anybody remember late summer of 1991 when the whole history of the Rangers began to change?

Here’s the most ridiculous thing about all of what went down: Everybody was wringing their hands over whether the Rangers were going to have to give up Troy Mallette or Steven Rice and Louie DeBrusk as compensation for signing Adam Graves as a restricted free agent. And some people were wondering whether any of those might be too much to give up for a single-digit goal scorer like Graves!

Imagine. Of course, Mallette went to Edmonton (Rice and DeBrusk would go later in the Mark Messier trade) and all three would end up disappearing pretty quickly. Graves would score a team-record 52 goals in the Stanley Cup season and have his number retired and become the face of the franchise.

I’m being told that tonight’s ceremony will be really special, not only because it’s Graves, the favorite son. First, the Garden is getting pretty good at this, having had the farewell for Wayne Gretzky and then the number retirements of Mike Richter, Mark Messier and Brian Leetch. Second, unlike those other guys, Graves spends a lot of time working at the Garden in his community services and player development roles, so pretty much everyone in the building has a personal relationship with him, and so putting together the ceremony has become a labor of love.

Last night the four ’94 horsemen did a lot of reminiscing. Richter said that Graves has met every single Rangers fan, and “I believe they had a sleepover one time.” He also told a story about going past Graves’ locker on the way out of the Rangers old practice facility at Rye Playland. Richter and Messier noticed a huge box atop Graves’ locker, with only his name on it. Messier turned to Richter and said, “So that’s how he does it. He gets a box of ‘nice” delivered.”

Richter called Graves “an absolute force.” Messier repeated that, when he was at his peak, he’s not sure anybody played the full-package game that Graves did, and called him “a captain’s dream come true as a lieutenant.” Leetch said that Graves “was our foundation,” and told stories about how every time Leetch took a hit that was even remotely harder than normal, he could hear “Adam’s heavy skates” coming to the rescue. Leetch said that Matthew Barnaby, when he became a Ranger, told Leetch the same thing, that every time he tried to hit Leetch he could hear Graves coming.

Leetch added that Adam had become such an important player on the ice that Leetch had to say, “No, no, Adam” to keep him from avenging such hits, because he was too crucial to be spending time in the penalty box.

Graves, predictably, said he’s been feeling a weight on his shoulders since last year, when Leetch announced that No. 9 was going to the ceiling, and that the weight has only increased every day. He obviously isn’t comfortable being singled out. He is humbled, and he said, as he often has, that it was enough of a privilege for him to wear the uniform.

You can’t compare him to Billy Martin as a person, but I’m sure tonight will remind us of what Billy Martin said when the Yankees honored him. “I may not have been the best player to wear this uniform, but I am the proudest.”

I began follwing Rangers during 1970-71 so I am very familiar with Rod Seiling; he played right up until 74 or 75

Obviously this is all PR…I LOVE Graves but c’mon…what are Ratelle and Parks names not doing up there? I know they never won a cup but the two of those guys played into the SF’s( at least the SF round) 4 years in a row with NYR and then…4 years in a row with Boston

Is any one else with me here that we need more of the Ranger pratice insight, rather than the general NY Rangers talk. I can get this kind of stuff several different places but what MADE this blog good was the report of what happend at the practices and who was lining up with who. For instance where is Ansimnov fittng in and the new D man. I have heard nothing about them. I think we need to get RICK to get us this info anyone else agree???????

Aside from coming up with a package involving Vinny Lecavalier (who they will never trade), do you think you can figure out a deal there? And remember, TB is looking to save money.

Obviously, the first part of the deal is Lundqvist and Smith, but what else do you include to make it work, both in terms of us getting a solid return, and the cap money being even (they don’t want to add salary).

As per Blue Notes, Kalinin is out with a back problem so Reitz is paired with Mara. Anisimov will center a 3rd line with Voros and Korpikoski(sp?). Now if Renney would just sit Voros and replace him with Prucha, you could have a 3rd line worth watching.

Thanks to jeffluke and Zipay. Sorry, I will not be at every single practice. I pretty much have two jobs now. But I will do the best I can. Meantime, even without the trivial stuff, we can have some pretty good discussions here, right?

Rick that’s not trivial stuff that’s what I want to hear, the stuff you can’t get anywhere else. Locker room talk, what happens at practices this kind of stuff. I understand that you may not be able to give that to us and will not hold that against you. You can’t you can’t, but this is what I liked about this blog was that kind of stuff. I won’t desert you but I will take a look at Zippay and anyone else that can give me practices and lockeroom stuff. thanks.

hockeyman – of course i’ll regret sending this info out. not because of you but gross especially is very good with his coverage. i was one of the few who commented there and he often responded with good answers and observations in response to comments.

Rick, when are you going to ask Renney about Prucha? It is downright criminal what Renney is doing to the kid. There must be a reason other than “if he scores three or four goals a night, he would play” (Renney’s past quote). It really is about tinme someone has the “bazim” to ask this question and get a real answer.

Coincidence? the Penner thing really has re-surfaced again….MacT is disappointed and Penner has no answers; its even listed as a link on their website “MacT speaks at length about Panners troubles but asks Penner not to speak to the media about it”

He was a healthy scratch for the Canucks on Saturday and has publicly expressed his displeasure that general manager Mike Gillis wants him to engage in more fights. “I am a player,” O’Brien said. “I don’t want to be just considered a fighter.” O’Brien continued voicing his complaints of being a healthy scratch by saying, “I am not happy with it. I don’t want to take anything away from [Rob Davison], because he can play. But I am at the point in my career where I think I need to play. If they don’t think I’m worth playing to see if I can develop, if they just want me to be a fighter or whatever, maybe it’s not the right situation.” O’Brien owns a plus-7 rating and is second in the league with 132 penalty minutes this season. Stay tuned.

Rick
While youre asking Renney about Pru could ya ask him if he consults with Avery on what to wear on the bench,reason I ask is anyone that boring couldnt be looking that sharp picking out his own wardrobe,WAIT maybe Aves left his suits behind and Clueless had them altered. Thanks I`m waiting with baited breath for the answer

Amazing
You rememebe how desperate the Oilers were for any offense from their dee?? They were supposedly a Redden OK at waiving his NTC from getting him last season

Now..Souray and Vishnovsky and a couple of their kids are doing great things as offensive dee-men …there goes the Redden for Penner trade ( glip for glop but a little cheaper and shorter length contract…yikes we have Redden until 2014!!!)

During my commute to work this morning, I was thinking about what my favorite Graves moment was. I was 10 when he scored in Game 7 in 1994, just old enough to know it was a big goal, but still too young to fully appreciate it. I nearly hit my ceiling when he scored the OT series clincher against the Devils in 1997, propelling the mediocre Rangers to the Conference Finals. I also thought about his return to the Garden after being forced out of NY, and the video tribute, and Graves shedding a tear as he watched. You could tell he never wanted to leave. I thought about his return to NY as a part of the front office, and when Leetch announced that his number would be retired last year. All of them were special moments, but none of them fully embraced what Gravey meant to the fans.

My favorite Adam Graves moment came on February 4th, 2004. Mike Richter Night. It was his first appearance on Garden ice since 2002. I remember as JD was introducing everyone, he would start by reciting his accomplishments for the Rangers. The fans would listen to the first accomplishment, identify the player, and start to cheer. Not for Graves. The camera panned over Graves, and the Garden just erupted. You could hear it from across the street, I heard it from college in Binghamton. The roar was deafening, and just continued for what seemed like forever. When a lull finally occurred, JD joked that he didn’t even need to introduce Graves. On a night honoring Mike Richter, Adam Graves may have received the loudest ovation.

So let me be another person, another Ranger fan, another New Yorker, to say thank you. Thank you Adam Graves, for being you.

I was at Messier’s, Leetch’s, and Ricky’s jersey retirement ceremonies. I remember during Ricky’s I think when they intro’d Gravy and everyone was chanting “Sign him up!” That was a special moment. But there are so many with #9. He was all about screaming “1940” right before he hoisted the Cup and you could tell he felt so proud to have shut up those 1940 chanters!

Meanwhile, I was set to go to tonight and the wife had a thing to do at my kid’s school so she told me no go. My brother offered the ticket to his friend. This AM, my wife’s thing got canceled at the school so she will be home and I could have gone. My bro held up his offer to his friend and I am SOL. Bummed.

Maybe when Graves visits the locker room right before he steps onto the Garden ice, the rest of the current Rangers can take a look at him and get an idea what it is really like to be a Ranger. If any of these guys played with half the heart Graves did, we would probably be 1st in the conference.

Aww man, c’mon guys as much as we hate Redden, it’s not worth taking cheap shots like that.

The problem with a Redden trade, I’d give EDM Redden and a low level prospect (Potter/Campbell/Zaborsky) plus Prucha if they gave the Rangers back Penner and a dman. I’d love Gilbert but would take Gerbeshkov, anything to get Redden off the books.

When I had season tickets in 2006, I went to the post season BBQ with my pops. I was excited to meet some of the players I hadn’t met during the season, but was most excited to meet Graves. There were two shifts of subscribers for the BBQ, one in the morning and us in the afternoon; needless to say it was a long day for the staff and players there. Adam ran a street hockey clinic with some kids once for both shift and after stood around signing autographs. He was there for probably 6 hrs before I had my chance to meet him. Adam was so gracious of our support for the team and presence at the BBQ. He signed a puck and took two pictures with us. There aren’t many that would wear that smile for as long as he did, the day I met Adam Graves.

Is any one else with me here that we need more of the Ranger pratice insight, rather than the general NY Rangers talk. I can get this kind of stuff several different places but what MADE this blog good was the report of what happend at the practices and who was lining up with who. For instance where is Ansimnov fittng in and the new D man. I have heard nothing about them. I think we need to get RICK to get us this info anyone else agree???????

…….

Absolutely. I read above and really appreciate Carp’s interactiveness with the comment section… but in general I feel like the blog has become more of a “story time” as opposed to the up to the minute “Rangers report” that Sam worked so hard to make it.

What’s also funny to me is the attempt to steer what the blog conversations are about now.

“Talk about this subject, don’t talk about that and save that other thing for Tuesday the 10th”…… Haha, what?

Where is the scouting Report for the game tonigt? Is AA in or out? I’d assume he’s OUT but the first few posts suggest otherwise. And to be honest, I’m not even positive who we’re playing tonight. I used to get that info here, my one stop shop.

Looks like Prucha’s out. Naturally. And AA is in. They’re playing Atlanta at 8:08 p.m.

Just kidding. We’re a work in progress now that Sam’s gone. We are going to make an effort to get more info quickly. Honest. I may have some help coming.

In the meantime, I’m not telling you what to talk about. I have some questions and ideas and I’d like to find out what you people think about certain things. But I want very much for you to talk about anything and everything. All the time.

And while some other sites might give you a little more info once in a while, we will be here posting far more often. Plus, in the first six days since I’ve been here, a lot of people have asked me a lot of questions, and I have attempted to answer as many as I can.

read zipays blog for renney quotes today, i was dumbfounded….time for one of the beat reporters to grow a pair and ask renney a follow up or explain why you dont play your most hardworking player….its getting absurd. brooks will criticize, but no one will directly challenge him, that’s gotta change

Hi Rick. Quick feedback: When you update a posting, can you put “(Updated)” in the headline? Makes it easier to see that new info has been added to the bottom (especially when it’s a longer post). Thanks!

Anyone remember the hockey Rodent’s explanation as to giving young players a chance to success under Renney and a monitor of shifts by Dawes/Dubi/Cally last year? This is what I think they’re doing with AA’s line tonight.

Carp I’m not trying to rip (too hard). I understand what is going on. There are a lot of things you bring to the table that Sam didn’t, and taking the time to answer everyone is a biggie. I don’t plan to leave, I have faith that the blog’s “peak years” are still coming.

“read zipays blog for renney quotes today, i was dumbfounded….time for one of the beat reporters to grow a pair and ask renney a follow up or explain why you dont play your most hardworking player….its getting absurd. brooks will criticize, but no one will directly challenge him, that’s gotta change”

Right on target. Forget the daily line combo changes that Renney fools around with way to much and ask him some tough questions. I.e: Power Play, Prucha.

Rick- Those are the two most glaring problems with the 08/09 Rangers that Renney needs to be questioned about; his response should then be written up on this blog.

jeffluke-No prob. I’m skeptical about the 3rd line stuff. I think at WORST he’ll be a great third liner and I think because of the length of Gomez and Drury’s contract, that is where the “3rd liner” comes into play.

Everyone gotta remember; he’s only 20 which means he can’t even buy a drink and has not finished developing his size and he’s been living in North America for only 1.5 years and is already cracking the lineup. This is promising.

Also he’s scored more than Dubi/Korpi and Betts (I know, haha) did at that level already and while the AHL is the AHL, that’s pretty impressive.

Ok , Alot of you guys and some gals are on the Penner wagon!!!?? Come on ….do we really wanna sift through Edmontons garbage?? Penner is over paid more than Redden and Gomez.You don’t believe all the stuff Mac T said about him …he sucks , and Souray is injury prone , tease ya a bit then “ow ow im hurt”. Edmonton would love to dump penner , Kevin lowe ( i do like him) Is an idiot for making him that rediculas offer sheet , I don’t blame Burke at all for being upset. Like ive said my brother is a avid Oiler fan and he says he sucks!!!

Graves ceremony tonight…wow , im actually a lil choked up , its sure is sinking in ..Messier better not cry cuz it god dam make me tear up…I hate these emotional nights. Hell even if his number should n’t be raised , im glad they are …I don’t know why. I’m very happy for Adam and he did go after players that hit on leetch .. I love that guy!!!! (sob)

Oh yeah just to let you know Zhevalev ( Pavel) it makes me wanna vomit , thanks to you every time I see your stuiped name change. ty , your a smart one , too funny and its also a ripoff of my name. I used it first and I asked ya nice to stop disrespecting me and Z himself.

last year, when I only had the online pkg, not only did I miss Leetch ceremony but then they showed the Atlanta Broadcast of the game; they talked more about Lehtonin’s cranky groin then they did about Leetchy!!

hope center ice does show it , they never show post game stuff …I miss my ‘ol MSG network , that my friends is the best. For Rangers that station is the best , dam satilite is down. Have to watch center ice on cable tv.

Dubi has been really good on faceoffs. I hope Anisimov isn’t too much of a drop off from that.

And Adam, the pun worked in the context I used it in, because I was saying he was going to be very nervous. I remember Dubinsky’s first game. The guy couldn’t stay on his feet. It was like watching Bambi on ice.

A good joke for my chances at the Journal News would have been that I would be that the closest I get to being hired at The Journal News would be to buy myself a new journal on my way home.

Dolan is the biggest greedy jerk in sports. I just found out from the league office that he is not letting the NHL show MSG network games in HD on the Center Ice package.

as a Directv customer, we have been getting the Ranger games in HD all season until just recently. I called the league broadcasting dept to find out what happened, and they said that Directv was showing the HD coverage, but they are not allowed to, and had to stop, because Dolan has refused to give them permission to. he evidently wants more money to give Center Ice fans HD.

Center Ice subscribers of ALL cable and Sat carriers apparently are being held hostage by Dolan for more money.

this is just another chapter in the saga of MSG and Cablevision pulling these kind of stunts to aggravate fans by demanding more money for the rights to something that is given by the FSN networks and CBC and TSN

for instance, tonight’s game IS available in HD on Center Ice if you watch the Atlanta FSN coverage.

BUT, you must watch it in blurry SD if you want to see the MSG coverage.

doodie, nobody is hiring in the newspaper biz these days, but you would be half qualified — the underpaid part, not the educated part.

Salty, I think Josh is going to jump in from time to time. Also, Jane McManus, who covers the Jets for us, is going to be filing some of the “news” items and she will be joining me on the live video cast tomorrow at 1. She’s a news hound, and a good blogger, so you guys will like that. I wish I could be there every day, all the time, like the old days.

Hopefully the Rangers come out attacking, and not flat from sitting through a long ceremony.

Good luck, Artie! I can’t wait to see what this kids got, even though it’s inevitable that he will be slowed down by Voros. Hopefully Artie and the Korpedo can cycle the puck well enough in the O zone to make Voros somewhat effective in front of the net.

just watching the post game press conference makes me want to slap renney in the face.. this man is absolutely clueless..! what team is he watching.? what team is he coaching.? the power play practices hard everyday.. practices what exactly.? giving up odd man rushes.? passing the puck for 1:48 seconds and taking one shot.? i mean come on buddy wake up get your head out of your ass and realize you suck as a coach.. so what if your a nice guy.? who gives a rats ass i’m paying almost 5000$ for my seats not to see a nice guy coach an underachieving bunch of overpaid bastards lose to teams they should skate circles around.. enough is enough renney needs to go, take pearn with him and get lost.. ottawa needs another moron to run that circus head north buddy..